Newsletter #378

At last – and after nearly a year – we get back-to-back wins! It’s a day later as I write this and it hasn’t really sunk in, such is the low expectation these days.

This issue contains one of the excellent News Reviews from Steve McNally, a new spin on (possibly) the entrepreneural side of Kinkladze and some information from another anonymous contributor.

Next game, Oxford United at home, Saturday 7th March 1998

---

NEWS SUMMARY

Tuesday 3rd March

No news today. Mainly because I can’t remember anything that happened other than we won away again! It’s after midnight now, I’m still soaking wet (what’s with the McAlpine stadium letting the rain in eh?) and nothing other than the three points seems to matter to me anymore! Sorry.

Wednesday 4th March

Some after match quotes from Royle on last night’s match: Surprisingly he said we were ‘fortunate’ to come away with the 3 points. This must be some kind of psychological trick to guard against any kind of complacency because from where I was sat it looked fairly comfortable and certainly not as jittery as we have been. “We’ve got to keep it going now into the weekend and get into the 40-point region because once we get into the 40s we’ve got one foot towards safety. If you’d have told me when I came to the club that we’d get three wins out of five games I’d have settled for that. I won’t kid myself we played well but if you score three goals away from home you deserve something. Two of the goals came from set pieces and in Peter Beardsley we have a good deliverer of the ball so we may as well use that and we did to good effect. It was a tremendous goal by Tskhadadze and one of the headers of the season. It put us 3-1 up and made us more comfortable. I thought the penalty given against us for tugging by Kit Symons was a little bit harsh but everything turned out right in the end.”

Looks like Mike McDonald may well be on his way out of Sheffield United, so we can expect to see him step up his efforts to oust Franny in the near future. The straw that broke the camel’s back seems to have been Nigel Spackman’s resignation, which has sparked an angry backlash from the fans of the struggling side who are blaming the departure of Willie Donachie to City for Spackman quitting. A line of thought which is fuelled by McDonald himself, “Spackman was never the same after Willie left. On his own he was just not experienced enough to handle the pressure.” Following last night’s defeat at the hands of Ipswich a demonstration saw fans suggesting (ever so politely of course) that he should walk out on the Blades and join his beloved City, to which McDonald barked “I will go to Manchester City then. Frankly, if there is a concerted movement against me on the board then I feel inclined to leave things to someone else.” There’s no doubt he’s interested, indeed some rumours suggest he’s already had one offer for Stephen Boler’s holding rejected. We shall see.

Last bits for today. It looks as though Dave Watson is going to accept Everton’s offer of a new one year contract, despite JR offering him a two year deal and captaincy of the club! We’re expected to ask Bolton to extend the ever improving Peter Beardsley’s loan spell until at least the end of the season. The same applies to Lee Briscoe, and Tony Scully will still have to wait for his chance to impress Royle as tonight’s reserve team game against Leicester is off due to a waterlogged Altrincham pitch.

Thursday 5th March

More on the ongoing Mike McDonald saga, with the flagging Blades supremo again speaking out in the press about matters at Maine Road. “I’ve decided it’s time to leave Sheffield United. I’m not wanted there anymore,” he said. “I’ve been leading a consortium trying to buy a stake in City which is where my first loyalty has always been, but so far my attempts have fallen on deaf ears. I let Willie Donachie move to City two weeks ago because I believed it was a good move for City. They’ve always been my club and I’d dearly love to take over.” I can’t help but sympathise with the Sheffield United fans. Surely his first responsibilty was to them, and to go public and admit that he let their first team coach leave because it was in the best interests of Man City is an absolute disgrace. In my opinion of course. It’s worrying then that stories coming out of Maine Road suggest that he now has thirty per cent of the shares backing him, and the upcoming power struggle could well swing in his favour…

The only other story of note today is that Willie Donachie has given JR a glowing tribute in the press, and if we didn’t know better we’d be no doubt worried that the tough Scot was a Phil Neal style yes man. “Joe’s a good boss and he’s my friend. He’s very fair with people and is understanding and cares about them and that’s his best strength. Joe has a good old fashioned Scouse sense of humour which is good. It keeps the players bright and lively but he feels the pressure like everybody else. He is only human but he can handle it. The fitness and level of ability is fairly good but obviously the confidence and self belief has taken a bit of a battering. It takes time and things won’t change overnight. It’s an ongoing process but the reaction of the players has been first class. I love every minute of it. It’s just a shame the position we are in puts a bit of pressure on. On one hand it seems a long time since I played for City but in some ways it seems like yesterday. The personnel has changed player-wise but with Joe here, Asa Hartford, Dennis Tueart, Ronnie Evans and Roy Bailey and the ladies in the laundry room and the kitchens there is not a lot different. It’s still a massive club with huge potential. I always wanted to come back at some time but football is so unpredictable.”

Steve McNally (steve@smcnally.demon.co.uk)

---

MATCHVIEW – CITY vs. WBA

Having recently moved back to Manchester after being in exile at university, I decided to visit the hallowed turf of Maine Road for the WBA game. Expecting a better performance than that of the Bury game my senses tingled with the excitement of a new dawn (either that or I was freezing sat in the wind tunnel of the North Stand).

First half was very scrappy with both teams not seeming to be able to break the deadlock. City for once had sustained periods of pressure on the WBA goal but just couldn’t seem to score. There were a few hair-raising moments when Albion attacked but for them it was a lacklustre performance. Joe Royle had pleaded with the fans for support but until Rösler scored, the support was its usual dead self. Rösler’s goal was a corker with 4-5 players involved in the build-up. End of the first half came 2 minutes later but I felt we needed to do more to win it.

Second half was pretty much the same as the first, both sides struggling to produce the goods. Again good periods of pressure from City but as usual they nearly threw it away at the end. Mr Royle has said we need to win 6 out of 12 to stay up, 1 down 5 to go.

Good performances came from Beardsley (here there and everywhere throughout the game), Brown (110% City, big heart), Briscoe (liked the look of him, plays as a wing back) and Whitley (again another good wing back). We also proved we can play without Kinky, and as much as I love him he should be sold on to raise funds. I’ve heard that it’s Ruddock and Thomas and £4 million for him. Not a bad deal!

Andy Holgate (andy.holgate@tipeur.ge.com)

---

RADIO FIVE – ‘FOOTBALL CITIES’

I don’t know how many Blues will have heard the new series on Radio 5 last night (Monday) which looks at a certain city with two clubs and why people would support one team or the other. Last night was Manchester, and it was very entertaining. It went on for about half an hour and had both Noel Bayley and Dave Wallace on, as well as the editors of some Rag fanzines as well. My only criticism would be that once a again a portion of the show was taken up by Rags going on about how they weren’t allowed to stand up and that terracing should be brought back… is that all they have to talk about over there these days? What was quite funny was when one of the Red contributors said that he wouldn’t mind if United didn’t win anything for 3 or 4 years as it would give the fans something to shout about again. Let’s just see if he felt the same if (and when!) that actually happens.

The other criticism about the show is that they didn’t seem to advertise it very well. I only found out about it driving home from work at 7 o’clock waiting for the sports news to come on. However, I did tape it, so if any Blues would like to send me a blank tape and a stamped addressed envelope, I’ll gladly make them a copy. I can’t promise that the quality will be brilliant, but it was one of the more entertaining things I’ve heard on the radio for a long time!

My address is as follows;

Mark Stangroom
11 Temple Road
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 1HP

On another matter, I was impressed by Andy Stevenson’s refusal in his Why Blue? to accept his raffle prize of a Sharp colour telly for obvious reasons. Can we start a new regular feature where Blues tell how they have managed to avoid all manner of electrical appliances made by Sharp? My contribution would be for our office where we have recently bought a microwave oven. Although the Sharp oven had the best spec. and the better price, I persuaded our office secretary whose job it was to order the unit that we should have a different brand. She eventually came round to my way of thinking as I told her I would have to boycott it. Fortunately, our MD supports Bolton and so he also saw my point of view. We are now the proud owners of a Moulinex microwave.

CTID, Mark Stangroom (mark@chupa.i-way.co.uk)

---

MANCHESTER CITY CENTENARY SUPPORTERS’ ASSOCIATION BALLOT

Has anyone else received a ballot paper from the Manchester City Centenary Supporters’ Association? If not, allow me to share its contents with you all:

Dear member

Some of you may already be aware that the Committee has received a proposal from our Midlands Branch, seconded by our Rochdale Branch of a vote of no confidence in the chairman of MCFC together with the manager Frank Clark. Clearly the latter item is no longer relevant.

It is not for the Committee to decide on issues, but merely to ascertain the view of the entire membership before we can give our collective view. Their (sic) have been powerful voices for and against the motion, however it is the nature of the collective vote that is important given that we represent over 3,000 City fans.

It then goes on to say that you have to be over 16 to vote and votes have to be in by Friday 6 March.

I’m not sure exactly what they hope to achieve by doing this but it has left me feeling vaguely uncomfortable (and I don’t even know where they got my name and address! No one else I know has got a letter).

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if anything happens and if “fan power” would have any influence whatsoever on Franny!

Regards to all, Christine Haynes (Christine.Haynes@man.ac.uk)

---

BLUE CD?

Just bought a compilation album from my local record shop entitled Warp Factor 1 – A firin’ selection of space funk and cosmic jazz beats (the music is somewhat better than the title). Anyway, while listening to it at home, I was looking at the sleeve and found the catalogue number to be GIO 001CD. Mere coincidence I thought until I saw the name of the record label… Kingkladze Records!

The blood in my veins is blue – Anthony Abdool (aabdool@cdp-uk.com)

---

OPINION – ANONYMOUS ARTICLE

A brief comment on the “anonymous” article regarding the behind the scenes exposé on Francis Lee’s regime. I read the article with interest, expecting some really engrossing detail, especially in view of the way it was trailed!

However, it has to be said that when boiled down there was not a great deal in the way of hard facts. Despite the so-called confidential internal documents that were supposedly available for access, there was little factual evidence of anything at all presented… i.e. it was predominantly just another person’s opinion. Don’t misunderstand me – all are entitled to their opinion just as much as I am, but that’s all. If we’re talking about someone with seriously useful information that he is prepared to share – then that’s different, but I really didn’t get that impression from the “anonymous” article.

Steve Maclean (stevemaclean@email.msn.com)

MCIVTA was provided with more detail to back the article up, enough that we were prepared to print it ‘anonymously’. Ideally the author would divulge all their knowledge to the entire list, however, this would almost certainly see them in serious hot water.

Ashley

---

OPINION – UNITED ORIGINS

As a lifelong United fan (born and bred in Manchester) I continue to read with interest the MCVITA bulletins. I started to receive these as a practical joke by my avid City cousins who put me on the mailing list, but it’s with great interest that I now follow the goings on in and around City.

One thing I still can’t fathom is that, whilst City are in such a mess at the moment (not my words) why is there such a pre-occupation with the origins of United fans? Having travelled quite a bit it’s good to see that the club you grew up with has a worldwide following. I’m sure if the boot were on the other foot City fans would not be complaining and would welcome the spreading of the word. What’s wrong with that? It’s like saying only people from Bethlehem can celebrate Christmas. What would that do to sales of turkeys, mince pies and Cockburn’s sherry?

Football crowds in the 30’s were all male all working class affairs, with hats, moustaches and speeded up film clips ‘de rigeur’. We now have family stands, growing female support (witnessed by the MCVITA contributors), blacks, whites, Asians, Africans, working-class, middle-class etc. Every other social barrier seems to be crossed, why not geographic boundaries? And if we’re to apply the same rationale, why stop with the fans, what about the players? Gio, Uwe and Tchakakan?

With satellite TV, the Internet and other such media making the world an increasingly smaller and more accessible place, I’d have thought that such contributions, to a global email discussion line of all places, could be more positive to the City cause rather than just a vent for small minded parochialism.

Keep up the good work MCVITA guys.

Mike Hogan – Jakarta (MHOGAN@SCBINDO.MHS.compuserve.com)

---

OPINION – 6-MONTHLY RESULTS

Many thanks to Joel Adams for the report on City’s financial performance in the last 6 months. Where is the money coming from to fund the continued losses being incurred by the club?

Whilst City’s turnover has shown a consistent increase in recent times – profits are what the club require. It’s relatively easy to increase turnover if you sell the product below its real cost. Any business that operates in this manner is doomed in the long term.

How Francis Lee can get away with the comment that the loss is due to the “high wage levels paid to our playing staff” is a mystery to me. This is the same comment that he made when he came to the club!

Why doesn’t Francis put the players on a lower base wage and pay the players big win bonuses? – this would give the players the incentive to win rather than sit back, play crap and still collect the big bucks!

Fingers crossed for the midweek game – will we achieve two on the trot?

Graham Hine (graham.hine@boral.com.au)

---

OPINION – HYPER-OPTIMISM!

If we win our next 2 games and everybody else in the division loses we can go 14th or near enough. This goes for winning the remaining games, if every other bugger loses in the division we go up as champions probably. I know I might be hyper optimistic, but aren’t we all?

Mike Thomas (miket@careerpaths.clara.net)

---

OPINION – WHAT JOY!

Huddersfield 1 City 3

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yesssss!

What joy – two back to back wins.

What elation – 5 games as manager = 3 wins + 2 defeats (although I don’t think the first defeat really counts).

What goals. 8 in 5 games (unheard of since the fluke game at home to Swindon Town).

What crosses. I’d forgotten what they were.

What’s happening? – City are actually playing some attacking football! I’ve got something to cheer for now.

Altogether: Blue Moon, I saw you standing alone…

Richard Mottershead – Not A Bitter Blue Anymore (richardjohnm@hotmail.com)

---

OPINION – ROYLE MUST GO!

Well we’ve just won two league games on the trot and as a fan of the team that’s turned more corners than Ivan Major I say Royle must go. Where’s the fun in winning? Now what am I going to do for sympathy?

Depressed. No longer the fifth best team in Greater Manchester.

Jim Sim (jim.simmons@bbc.co.uk)

---

OPINION – CAN YOU HEAR CITY SING?

I had to write in after reading the article from Billy King on the question of support.

Does he seriously believe that when the fans don’t scream encouragement at the team all game it makes a difference?

Do you remember Huddersfield at home this season? The support was magnificent and what happens, we lose to an absolutely s**t team and who scores the winner: a City fan. Or further back in time, how about Coventry away when we lost 4-0, Liverpool 6-0, 2-2, Norwich this season. Do you want me to go on?

The point is that the players are genuinley not good enough and short of the fans going on and playing themselves there isn’t much we can do. Yeah, we can shout all game as I do and so do the majority of the City fans but do we win? Do we bu**ery.

We are usually treated to an inept, pathetic performance that we have paid out of our noses for and to which the players at the end do not even acknowledge our support.

In fact, it is often the case that the old Big Awayday Support Syndrome is a sure fire way of us losing a game. So don’t blame poor performances on City fans, because that’s bulls**t and it’s the type of thing that a Rag would accuse us of. In fact, look at the team that is top of the Premiership; as soon as I hear their fans getting behind their side, I’ve forgot 50,000 of the b*****ds are at the match.

We are wonderful supporters in spite of our team, we turn up twice a week and we do support them. But quite frankly 3-0 down against Reading are you surprised people get a tad pi**ed off? I’m not.

As for the rest of the season you can be sure we will support them all the way. But in the end it’s not us that win the games, it’s the players or maybe not?

Nick Wentland (MPL170@mail.salford.ac.uk)

---

OPINION – TOO MANY MOANERS?

I don’t contribute often, as I’ve usually nothing to say. But for once I feel compelled. Billy King, you are dead right. There are far too many whinging gits at Maine Road and I for one would love to see them p*** off to the Swamp. Especially as these professional whingers are probably singing the praises of everyone now we’ve finally got two back to back victories.

Come on you Blues… let’s make it a pleasure to go to Maine Road again.

Mark Jones (donkey@liv.ac.uk)

---

OPINION – FLUSH

OK I admit I’m flushed by two wins in a row and that feeling of headiness is what prompts the following question (which could only be asked by a person with the ridiculous level of optimism required to be a City fan) :- “Can anybody tell me whether there is a mathematical possibility of a play off place this season?”

Johnathan Seitler (jseitler@wilberforce.co.uk)

---

REQUEST – GUILDFORD BLUES

To all City fans. Do any of you live in the Guildford area? If so, please send me a messeage. We could discuss travelling to see our beloved team home or away, or just get together to catch up on latast gossip.

Lonely City fan in the South, Jon Hilton (nm65jh@pop.surrey.ac.uk)

---

OPINION – MIKE McDONALD

“Don’t trust the sheep in wolf’s clothing called Mike McDonald.” That was the opinion of a Sheffield United fan who called Piccadily 1152 following City’s win at Huddersfield. He reckons we would be better to stick with Franny Lee than let McDonald gain power at Maine Road. It does seem like the Sheffield United board have tried to destroy their side’s chances of promotion by selling their best players and giving their manager no choice but to quit a job he has done well all season. Maybe it’s a case of better the devil you know.

Finally, it’s nice to see Andy Dibble hasn’t lost his goalkeeping ability since leaving City. He has conceded 9 goals in 2 games since coming into Boro’s side last week.

Charles Pollitt (cpollitt@fs1.scg.man.ac.uk)

---

MORE DIBBLE

Found this on Imsport Teamtalk page:

“Middlesbrough have lost the plot of late, losing 4-0 at Nottingham Forest last Sunday, and then losing 5-0 at QPR, two of their goals from former City striker Mike Sheron. All nine goals were conceded by another ex-Blue, Andy Dibble, who only made his début last Sunday!”

Jon Bradshaw (jbradshaw@computasoft.com)

---

QUESTION

Does anyone know the current theme to Match of the Day goal of the month?

Jonathan Tod (jonathan.tod@sb.com)

---

A NIGHT ON THE TOON

While enjoying a few lemonades in Caf